A robust rural economy

Rural areas ; Farm income

The impact of the ethanol boom on rural America

Since 2005, surging U.S. ethanol production has helped reshape the rural economy. Ethanol production has increased nonfarm activity in many rural communities. Moreover, increased ethanol production contributed to rising crop prices, increased net returns, and a jump in cropland values both nationally and regionally. However, rising crop prices cut livestock revenues by boosting feed costs. As a result, while ethanol proponents tout the benefits emerging from the ethanol industry, opponents rail against its adverse side effects. Although the expanding ethanol industry has made a sizable impact on the rural economy, that impact has not been as large as initially estimated.Rural development ; Biomass energy - United States

Agricultural credit standards tighten

Agricultural borrowers are increasingly concerned about access to credit. Amid economic weakness and a financial crisis, commercial banks have tightened credit standards for various types of loans. While agricultural borrowers may be concerned about credit availability, agricultural lenders are equally concerned about the creditworthiness of agricultural borrowers as the farm economy weakens.Agricultural credit

Will the farm rebound lead a rural recovery?

Rural areas ; Farm income ; Rural development

An emerging computer sector in the Tenth District

Computer industries have been an important facet of the nation's current economic expansion. During the 1990s, the computer sector has added almost three-quarters of a million jobs across the country, creating high-paying new positions and spawning new opportunities for the American entrepreneur.Computers ; Federal Reserve District, 10th

The power of technological innovation in rural America

Rural areas ; Rural development ; Technology

Will the rural economy rebound in 2010?

As the U.S. economy emerges from recession, prospects for a rural rebound in 2010 are also rising. After months of sharp contraction, the nation’s GDP rose solidly in the second half of 2009. Rural job losses also slowed as the year progressed, and commodity prices rebounded, spurring some optimism that farm profits could soon stabilize. ; The nation’s economic gains, however, have lacked the strength to spur robust job gains or bolster incomes, raising the specter of another jobless recovery. As the recoveries following the 1990-91 and 2001 recessions struggled to create jobs, rural areas enjoyed stronger job growth than their metro counterparts. This time around, rural economies have kept pace with their metro peers. But the question remains: Can rural economies rebound more quickly in the year ahead? ; Henderson reviews the state of the rural economy heading into 2010. He describes how falling demand brought an end to the farm boom in 2009. Next, he examines the impacts of the recession and financial crisis on rural Main Street activity. Finally, he explores how the rural economy in 2010 may be shaped by the national recovery and how stronger global economies and a weak dollar could offer new export opportunities in the year ahead.

How important are small businesses in the Tenth District?

Small businesses were widely recognized in the 1980s as the driving force behind economic growth. One benchmark study estimated that small firms accounted for 80 percent of all new jobs in the nation in the late 1970s. Analysts predicted that small businesses would continue to provide most new jobs as the economy became more service-oriented and therefore dominated by firms that tended to be smaller in scale. ; The desire to promote small businesses as an engine of job growth was partly responsible for efforts in the mid-1980s to overhaul the tax system and deregulate business. Since then, election campaigns and congressional debates have continued to place small businesses and job growth together in the public eye. ; Today, improved access to additional data allows a comprehensive look at the importance of small businesses in the Tenth District economy. Small firms continue to be the primary source of total jobs in the district, accounting for 60 percent of all jobs in 1994. But not all sectors of the district economy favor small firms. For instance, small firms in 1994 accounted for less than a third of all manufacturing jobs in the district. Therefore, in their efforts to promote job growth policymakers should not overlook the contribution that large firms can make in some key sectors.Small business ; Federal Reserve District, 10th

Can grain elevators survive record crop prices?

Grain trade ; Agriculture - Economic aspects ; Agricultural prices